Changing Times
by SweetChi
Summary: On the hunt for a killer, Castle and Beckett might have found out more than they wanted to know.


Written for the LJ 2011 Wish List.

Requested by: Ferfer

Fandoms: Castle/Southern Vampire Mysteries

Characters: Castle, Beckett, Eric

Prompt: While visiting relatives in Louisiana, Castle visits Fangtasia. One of the SVM characters (probably Pam) is a fan of his books and asks him to shadow Eric like he does Beckett. After all, Eric is a 'sheriff' just like Kate is a Detective. Could this lead to a new book series for Castle?

Author's Note: Okay, this isn't _exactly_ what you asked for. I had to tweak it a little to satisfy my muse. Hope you still like it!

**Changing Times**

The case had been screwed from the word go. A vic with two puncture wounds in his neck, drained completely of blood, no other injuries… Yeah, she could see where this was going - nowhere good. Lanie said it wasn't possible to bleed someone completely dry like that with only two small punctures, but even as "impossible" as she claimed it was, she still had no other alternatives to how the guy had died.

So that's why Kate was here, in the darkest part of the city, with Castle - who claimed he had a friend of a friend of a vampire. Uh-huh, that's right. She said _vampire_. That's what this case had been reduced to - a wild goose chase after a mythical creature. But since the case had hit a wall, she didn't have much else to do.

"If you ever mention to anyone that I went to meet a so-called _vampire_ with youhoping to find a lead on a case, I swear, I'll shoot you."

"I love it when you get all aggressive," he said, looking over his shoulder to give her a grin and an eyebrow waggle.

She rolled her eyes but her traitorous heart still gave a little lurch.

"Mr. Castle and guest?" A woman's voice said from behind them.

Kate spun, one hand falling to the butt of her gun, the other grabbing her flashlight. How had someone gotten behind them? She'd been listening, completely in tune with her surroundings, and not noticed a thing.

A woman stepped out of the most shadowed part of the alley and Kate flicked on the flash light, hand still on the butt of her gun. The stranger was younger than her voice sounded, early twenties maybe. Dressed in a knee length blue and white dress, her long blond hair falling around her shoulders, she looked anything but dangerous. Beckett let her hand slide away from the gun.

"Yes, I'm Richard Castle," Castle said, moving next to and a little in front of Kate. She wasn't sure if he was stupidly trying to protect her or just accidentally blocking her gun hand. Either way, it was annoying. "This is Detective Kate Beckett."

The woman looked back and forth between them, looking far too amused for Kate's liking.

"Pam," she said with a slight nod. "Come along."

She turned on delicate heels the same blue as her dress and clicked off into the night, leaving Kate wondering how in the hell she hadn't heard her come up behind them. Castle looked back at her and shrugged, to which she returned with a glare just on principle. This whole thing was a ridiculous waste of time.

They caught up with her at a corner that turned back further into the warren of alleys. Kate had been in this area a dozen times before and never known there were so many dark and secret places back here. She'd have to remember this for the next time she was searching for a suspect in the area…

"So you're friends with Gina?" Castle asked, breaking the silence. The man just couldn't seem to be able to help himself - he couldn't stand still or be quiet for more than a minute at a time. Kate tried to be annoyed by it, she really did, but she still felt the corner of her mouth twitching with the urge to smile.

"Yes, you could say we were '_friends_'," Pam said, glancing back with what could only be described as a leer.

"Bleh, too much information," Castle muttered.

Kate thought for a moment about pressing the subject, just to disturb Castle, but decided she really didn't want to know any more about his ex-wife's preferences either.

"And you're supposed to be a vampire?" She asked instead, looking at the petite blond that looked more like she stepped out of Alice in Wonderland than Dracula.

"Are you supposed to be a police officer?" Pam asked blandly with a look back at Kate that took her in head to toe.

Okay, so she had a point. Kate could concede that she probably looked about as much like a cop as Pam did like a vampire. With her stiletto heeled boots, snug sweater and lightly curled hair, the last thing the bad guys expected when she came for them was to get their ass handed to them. But she didn't mind, that underestimation worked for her, made her job easier.

A heavy unease settled in her stomach as she looked at Pam and remembered how her appearance had lowered her guard. As a wolf in sheep's clothing herself, she should've known better…

"I'm actually a fan of your Derek Storm books, Mr. Castle," Pam was saying ahead of her. She turned another corner that dead ended in front of a metal door with a sickly yellow light overheard.

"Oh," he said, preening a little bit and causing Beckett to roll her eyes as they stopped under the dim circle of light. "Have you read any of the Nikki Heat books yet?"

"The first one. Didn't care for it," Pam said bluntly, knocking on the grey beat up door. "Or more accurately, I didn't care for _her_. Too soft, sentimental."

Castle looked dubious. "Nikki Heat? Soft and sentimental? Are you sure we're talking about the same book?"

"Oh, yes. She's far too… what is the phrase… 'goody, goody'? For my tastes," she said as the door opened, revealing a broad Native American man in a leather vest and no shirt, a narrow hall stretched beyond him. "The way her mother's murder drives her to seek justice. Not my taste at all. Derek Storm, on the other hand, just took what he wanted, did what he felt like and made no apologies for it. Plus, he died magnificently."

She grinned when she said the last before turning away and going through the door. Beckett paused, that knot of unease in her stomach growing larger. When Pam had smiled, she swore she saw… Nah. She glanced at Castle and saw him starting after Pam, eyes a little wide. Had he seen… No, no way.

"Come on," she said, marching past him through the door and pushing away her unfounded apprehension. "Let's get this over with."

The hall was plain and grey, about twenty feet long and ending in another door. As they approached it, a dull thump of music trickled out. Beckett wasn't sure what she'd expected when she'd agreed to go on this farce of a lead, but it definitely _wasn't_ the full-fledged club that met them on the other side of that door.

The music was loud, but not annoyingly so. Conversations were still possible, just at a slightly higher volume than normal. And it wasn't metal or alternative rock screaming about hell and blood and death either. Weirdly enough the current song was I Don't Feel Like Dancin' by the Scissor Sisters. And despite the title, lots of people were dancing. It looked normal enough on the surface, but there was a strange current in the room that she couldn't quite put her finger on. It might've had something to do with the hungry, lingering looks being directed at her and Castle though.

She was so busy watching the strange crowd that she almost bumped into Pam when she stopped. Stepping back and blushing a little, she turned her focus up front again to see what the hold-up was. It turned out the road block was a man.

"This is Eric, the proprietor of this establishment," Pam said. "He's agreed to satisfy your curiosity."

Kate looked up, and up, and up some more. Now this guy… _he_ looked dangerous. Maybe not exactly like she would think a vampire would look, but definitely someone that would put her instincts on red alert. He was definitely good looking. Too masculine to be called pretty, despite the luxurious mane of blond hair he was sporting, but definitely beautiful. A chiseled jaw, sharp icy blue eyes, a straight, narrow nose and a wide sensuous mouth. Kate swallowed hard. He smiled slowly, eyes locked on hers. Castle coughed and nudged her.

She blinked out of her moment of… whatever the hell that had been, and glanced at Castle who was looking at her with an eyebrow raised, slightly annoyed. She was glad in that moment that she didn't blush easily, that way she was able to look back at Eric with only a slightly awkward moment instead of full-fledged humiliation.

"You know why we're here?" She asked, her embarrassment making her a little snippy.

"I'm aware of what has happened. A man was found dead in an alley, correct? Drained of his blood?"

Kate nodded then looked around. "Being the owner of some wanna-be creature of the night bar, maybe you have some information on that? Some freak get out of hand maybe?"

"I hear many things here. How it happened or exactly who was responsible, I couldn't tell you. But I can say that it's been taken care of. Even if you don't know it, these are delicate times. Such a lack of self-control is unacceptable."

Kate blinked at the odd answer and then looked at Castle who shrugged, looking just as lost.

"Taken care of, how?" Castle asked.

"Just know that you don't have to worry about another life being taken by the one that committed the crime in question."

Kate shook her head. "That's not good enough. I need a name."

"Then I cannot help you."

"Can't or won't?"

"Both."

She tried to bite back her irritation and failed. "Maybe if I take you down to lock-up you'll be more cooperative."

Instead of looking intimidated or angry, he laughed. Deep and rich, long and loud.

"I like you," he said, still smiling. "And I think I'd enjoy it very much if you tried to force me to come with you."

Kate was torn not only between anger and embarrassment at his complete dismissal of her, but also the flush of heat that shot through her at his suggestive gaze. What the hell was wrong with her? He was just some nutcase who thought he was a vampire. What was with all the… _charisma_?

"This is the author you were talking about?" Eric asked turning his gaze to Castle, who had been surprisingly quiet so far.

"Yes, I was thinking he could follow you around for his next book, Eric," Pam said with a smirk before aiming her words toward Castle. "He'd be much more interesting than a police officer. The things you'd see, Mr. Castle… Your readers would be clamoring for more."

"That's a generous offer," Castle said, his voice and smile were easygoing, but she knew him too well to not feel the tension radiating off of him. Something about his had him on edge - he was being too cautious, stepping carefully. "But I'm concentrating on the Nikki Heat novels for now. I won't be putting any thought into what's next until I finish these."

"We'll be moving to Louisiana after tomorrow," Eric said. "Opening a bar called Fangtasia in Shreveport. Please, look us up if you change you're mind, Mr. Castle."

Kate wanted to laugh at the name, but that unease was back full force. "You're putting a vampire bar in the phonebook? Aren't you guys supposed to be a secret?"

"Times are changing, Detective Beckett," Eric said, a small secretive smile playing on that sensuous mouth.

Kate was tempted to press harder, but suddenly she wanted to be anywhere but in that building.

"We're done here. Let's go," she said, turning toward the exit. Castle followed, for once with out any smart ass remarks or lame puns.

"You should make sure to watch the news tomorrow night," Eric called after them. "I'll think you'll be very interested in a certain announcement that will be made…"

Kate wanted to ask what he was talking about, wanted to turn around and demand more answers. But it was as if her body had a mind of its own - now that she'd started toward the exit, the want to escape was overwhelming. A creeping panic dancing up her spine that made her want to bolt for the outside world. She glanced at Castle and knew he felt it, too. His strides matching hers, barely contained, his face pale with tiny beads of sweat forming along his hairline.

She swore she heard Pam laughing.

They burst out of the exit like they were crossing a finish line. All heaving breaths and relief that it was _over_. The outside air washing away the irrational fear and the feeling of being prey, leaving her feeling stupid and defensive.

"You look a little shaken, Castle," Kate said, straightening up and trying to act like nothing had happened. Her shaking hands weren't helping with that, so she shoved them in her pockets. "Maybe you should stop and get a teddy bear on the way home."

"I was thinking more about a cross and some holy water, but a teddy bear would be nice too," he said seriously, wiping the sweat from his forehead with the palm of his hand.

She tried to laugh, but the it lodged in her throat. The feeling that everything she knew was about to be turned upside down hovered over her shoulder. She would watch the news tomorrow night, but she had a very bad feeling she wasn't going to like what was announced at all…


End file.
